AU2015203034A1

AU2015203034A1 - Extractor hood

Info

Publication number: AU2015203034A1
Application number: AU2015203034A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Marcel Blattler; Thomas Degelo
Original assignee: V-Zug AG
Current assignee: V-Zug AG
Priority date: 2014-06-27
Filing date: 2015-06-09
Publication date: 2016-01-21
Also published as: CN105299720B; CN105299720A; EP2772695A3; EP2772695A2; SI2772695T1; EP2772695B1

Abstract

Abstract Extractor hood device (10) with rim suction, comprising at least one slit-like feed opening (121) for sucked air, which runs along an edge of a central air impermeable cover plate (13), a hood shield (12) with at least one central air-permeable grease filter (123), which closes an escape shaft or a chimney (11), wherein at least a central area of the grease filter (123) (and of the hood shield (12) ) is shielded by the cover plate (13) from a cooking place in an operating mode , and is connected with the slit-like feed opening (121) by an air channel (125), whose inner bounding surfaces are air impermeable surfaces of the hood shield and of the cover plate and wherein the inner bounding surfaces which are arranged opposite to the slit-like feed opening (121), are shaped such that the bounding surfaces, deflect an air flow entering through the slit-like feed opening (121) by at least 45 degrees, wherein the deflecting parts of the bounding surfaces of the air channel (125) opposite to the slit-like feed opening (121), at least partly form an insert component (124) which is separable from and re-insertable into the remaining part of the hood shield (12) and/or the cover plate (13). (Fig. 2A) -~ ~ 11_ 124 '1 .1 2 3 12 2 &1247\\ 122- m

Description

Australian Patents Act 1990 - Regulation 3.2 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title Extractor hood The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:la Technical Field The present invention relates to an extractor hood with a grease filter, a vacuum system for applying underpressure to this grease filter in order to force gases, which are to be cleaned, through this grease fil ter, in particular air, which is polluted by cooking va pour, and with a covering which limits the vacuum effect of the vacuum system to slit-like openings at the edge of the extractor hood. Background Art Extractor hoods with rim suction are known products for private kitchen equipment and commercially available. Extractor hoods of this type are typically mounted at a wall above a cooking place or fixed at the ceiling above the cooking place. Further extractor hood devices for private kitchens are known, which are arranged beside the cooking place, where in a normal operating modus also the air is first sucked through an air slit into the extractor hood and undergoes a deflection after the suction into the ex tractor hoodin order to be transported in the direction of the location of the grease filter. Examples of these apparatuses are commercially available under the names of "table hood" or "downdraft hood". During operation of this type of extractor hoods with rim suction residues which are transported by the sucked air may happen to settle in the air channel between the sucking slit and the grease filter in the es cape shaft or in the air channel, respectively. Such de posits are unwanted and lead to dirt which is difficult to remove. In contrast to bigger, commercial extractor hood devices, extractor hoods for private kitchen equip- 2 ment are usually not constructed to be cleaned for exam ple by spray-washing and/or by using abrasives regularly (daily) . Therefore the problem exists to construct ex tractor hood devices with rim suction for private kitchen equipment in such a way that unwanted deposits, in par ticular grease residues, can be removed easily. Disclosure of the Invention According to the present invention an extrac tor hood device with rim suction is provided which com prises at least one slit-like feed opening for sucked air, which runs along an outer edge of one central air impermeable cover plate, a hood shield with at least a central air-permeable grease filter, which closes an es cape shaft or a chimney, wherein at least a central area of the grease filter (and of the hood shield) in a normal operating modus are shielded by the cover plate from the kitchen place and connected with the slit-like feed open ing by an air channel whose inner bounding surfaces are air-impermeable surfaces of the hood shield and of the air-impermeable cover plate, wherein the bounding surfac es are shaped in such a way, that the bounding surfaces arranged opposite to the slit-like feed opening deflect an airflow entering into the slit-like feed opening by at least 45 degrees, where the deflecting parts of the bounding surfaces of the air channel being opposite to the slit-like feed opening form an insert component which is at least partly separable from and re-insertable into a remaining part of the hood shield and/or the cover plate. An element has a shielding effect or covering effect in the sense of the invention, if it interrupts the straight movement of the cooking vapour from the lo cation of its origin, i.e. the cooking place, to the 3 shielded element and therefore forces the sucked air to make a detour through the slit-like feed openings. The extractor hood device is preferably an extractor hood without a movable pull-out, thus an ex tractor hood, where the cover plate and the remaining part of the hood shield are not moved relatively to each other in the operating state and where the slit-like feed opening has a constant distance to the grease filter. Nevertheless, the cover plate can be movably mounted at the extractor hood device or can be fixed separably and re-insertably, in particular in embodiments, where the insert component is partly covered by the cover plate during the ready-to-operate state, and the separation and the re-insertion of the insert component is blocked by the cover plate in its closed ready-to-operate state. Re garding such an embodiment of the cover plate and the in sert component according to the invention, the insert component cannot be separated from the remaining part of the extractor hood device during the closed, ready-to operate state. Therefore, for cleaning work the cover plate is first moved from an operating state to a mainte nance state or separated from the extractor hood device. By using an insert component, the surfaces, which bound the air slit and on which grease residues are therefore deposited in an enhanced manner, can be cleaned with the insert component separated from the remaining part of the extractor hood. To this end, the material of the insert component is preferably dishwasher safe, e.g. made of stainless steel or a resistant plastic. The insert component comprises preferably magnetic fixing means which detachably connect the insert component with the remaining part of the extractor hood device. The fixing means are preferably shaped such that they prevent a shift of the insert component along the hood shield. Preferably the insert component further com prises positioning means, which cooperate with position ing means on the remaining part of the extractor hood and 4 define the position of the insert component at insertion and preferably prevent a shift of the insert component in the inserted state. These positioning means can be e.g. mutually adapted positive and negative profiles or con toured surfaces on the insert component and on the corre sponding contact surfaces of the hood shield. In a pre ferred embodiment the fixing means and the positioning means are combined at one location. For example if the covering is in its mainte nance position or separated from the remaining part of the extractor hood, the insert component becomes accessi ble and for cleaning can be easily separated from the the extractor hood device by a simple pull of the magnetic fixation by the user. For this purpose the insert compo nent preferably further comprises one or several handles. In embodiments, where the slit-like feed opening is longer and for example runs around the cover plate or consists of several parts, also several insert components can be used instead of one insert component. Preferably, the insert components are identically con structed and mutually exchangeable. A longer section of the feed opening, e.g. a circumferential feed slit of an extractor hood hung up above the cooking place, can com prise two or more identical insert components. The insert component or the insert components and the grease filter or the grease filters of the ex tractor hood device are preferably made as separate com ponents of the extractor hood device. However, for some extractor hood devices it may be advantageous, if the grease filter and the insert component are one single construction element such that the insert component is a preferably air-impermeable extension of the grease filter and is separated together with it from the remaining part of the extractor hood device. Due to its function the insert component is arranged at the entrance of the air channel to the cen tral grease filter. Thus, it can comprise grease separa- 5 tors, e.g. in the form of grids made of expanded metal, extending into the air channel and arranged across to the air channel. Particularly preferred, the extractor hood device according to this invention is an extractor hood with circumferential rim suction and configured to be mounted above the cooking place in the operating state. In this embodiment the cover plate is preferably connect ed with the remaining part of the extractor hood device by hinges and is folded down by the user for cleaning the insert components. However, the device according to the invention can also be applied to other kinds of extractor hood devices, e.g. to table hoods or downdraft hoods. For bigger extractor hood devices the cover plate can consist of several parts. The extractor hood device comprises in a known manner a ventilator in the escape shaft or in the chimney for generating of an under pressure. Particular ly, in the recirculation mode it can further comprise more filters arranged in the escape shaft. Brief Description of the Drawings Further embodiments, advantages and applica tions of the invention arise from the dependent claims and the following description according to the figures, which show: FIG. 1A and 1B a perspective view of a known extractor hood with rim suction and a movably mounted cover plate in the closed ready-to-operate state (FIG. 1A) or in the open ready-to-clean state (FIG. 1B) respec tively; FIG. 2A a perspective view of an extractor hood according to one example of the invention in the open ready-to-clean state; 6 FIG. 2B a detail of the extractor hood in FIG. 2A; FIG. 2C a vertical sectional view of the ex tractor hood in FIG. 2A; FIG. 3A - 3C further illustrations of the principle of the mode of action of the invention; FIG. 4 the perspective presentation of an in sert component according to an example of the invention in three different orientations; FIG. 5A - 5C different steps of the removal of an insert component for cleaning in schematic cross sections and in a perspective view; and FIG. 6 and 7 schematic views of further exam ples according to the invention. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention A schematic perspective full view of a known extractor hood 10 is shown in the figures 1A and 1B. The hood consists of an escape shaft or a chimney 11, and a lower hood shield 12 in permanent connection with the es cape shaft 11, on to which a foldable cover plate 13 is fixed with hinges. Thereby FIG. 1A shows the extractor hood in a closed state and FIG. 1B shows the extractor hood in an open state. An extractor hood of this kind is installed above a kitchen place for example and can be configured typically in an extraction mode or in a recir culation mode. In the recirculation mode the sucked air is conveyed back into the room through an opening 111 with additional odour neutralizing filters in the chimney 11. The hood shield 12 comprises an outer frame 120, which protrudes over the central inner surface on one side (in the example shown the bottom side) and forms on this side a circumferential edge. The cover plate 13 serves as an air-impermeable deflector surface such that in the closed state (FIG. 1A) the air is sucked only 7 through the circumferential slit 121 between the outer edge of the cover plate 13 and the circumferential edge of the frame 120 of the hood shield 12. The cover plate 13 can consist of glass, plastic or metal, for example. In the example shown the cover plate 13 further comprises inwardly spacers 131. The dimensions of the spacers 131 define the height of the air channel between the feed slit 121 and the centrally arranged feed opening in the chimney 11. The air channel is basically limited by the inner bottom side of the hood shield 12 and by the inner surface of the cover plate 13 which is oriented upward in the closed state. The air channel renders possible that air, which is sucked through the feed slit 121, can flow to the middle of the hood shield 12 and can be sucked through the grease filter 123 into the chimney 11. The outer surface of the cover plate 13 is directly exposed to the fumes of the cooking place in the operating mode and shields the central area of the extractor hood with the grease filter 123 against these vapours. The cover plate 13 is folded down for clean ing and maintenance as shown in FIG. 1B. In this state the lamps 122 as well as the central grease filter 123 are accessible. If the grease filter 123 needs to be cleaned, it can be taken out of the extractor hood 10 with the cover plate 13 opened as indicated in FIG. 1B and be cleaned in this separated state in a dish washer for example. The elements and the functionalities of an extractor hood as shown in FIG. 1A and 1B and described above are known. Below an example according to the inven tion is described based on the extractor hood 10 as shown in FIG. 1A and 1B, wherein elements, which are identical in the examples or match in its function, are marked with the same reference signs as in FIG. 1A and 1B. The extractor hood as shown in FIG. 2A and 2B also comprises a chimney 11, a fixed hood shield 12 and a foldable cover plate 13. The grease filter 123 consists 8 of 3 parts, wherein each part can be separated from the hood shield 10 for cleaning purposes. The depicted ex tractor hood 10 further comprises three lamps 122 in the hood shield 12. Five identically constructed insert compo nents 124 are arranged on the inner surface of the hood shield 12. These are arranged on the surface or the sur faces of the hood shield 12 between the grease filter 123 and the inner edge of the circumferential frame 120. Two of these insert components 124 in one corner of the hood shield 12 are shown in the enlarged detail of FIG. 2B. The insert components 124 are arranged such that in the ready-to-operate state of the extractor hood 10, i.e. when the cover plate 13 is closed, they form at least to a large extent the inner surface(s) arranged opposite to the air slit 121 at the beginning of the air channel 125. This aspect of the insert components 124 is visible in FIG. 2C, too, which shows a vertical section through the middle of the extractor hood 10. In this ex ample, the extractor hood 10 is designed for wall mount ing. . In this variant, the hood shield 12 forms a sub stantially U-shaped shield around the central chimney 11, which is directly mounted on the wall. In FIG. 2C the ventilator 112 in the chimney 11 is shown, which sucks the kitchen vapours or fumes through the feed slit 121 into the extractor hood. The entrance into the chimney 11 is covered by the grease filter 123. Thereto the grease filter 123 is designed such that it extends over a part of the circumferential feed slit 121. In case of a typi cal wall mounting, this part of the circumferential feed slit 121 is the one which runs along the wall. . However, as shown, the remaining sections or parts of the circumferential feed slit 121 are delimited by the insert components 124, which in the immediate sur roundings of these sections of the feed slit 121 form the side surfaces and the bounding surfaces of the hood shield 12.

9 The airflows, when the ventilator 112 is ac tivated, are marked by arrows in FIG. 2C. As shown, in the zone of the feed slit 121 located near the wall the air passes directly through the grease filter 123 without deflection into the chimney room. Along the remaining sections of the feed slit 121, after passing the feed slit 121 the sucked air is initially conveyed within the air channel 125 between the inner bounding surface of the hood shield 12 and the cov er plate 13 in the direction of the chimney 11 slit and passes there through the grease filter 123. It can be ob served that the air, which enters through the remaining sections of the feed slit 121, undergoes a deflection di rectly after the feed slit. In the schematic FIG. 3A - 3C, the effect of the deflection of the air in this area and the advantages of the present invention are shown. In the operating mode of the extractor hood 10 the flow of the sucked air moves as shown by the arrows. The air flow is sucked through the feed slit 121 between the hood edge 120 and the cover plate 13 into the air channel 125, which is between the bottom side of the hood shield 12 and the top side of the cover plate 13. In the centre of the hood 10 the sucked air passes the central grease filter 123 and rises up wards in the chimney 11. Thereby FIG. 3A shows the basic elements of a known extractor hood as it is shown for example in FIG. 1, i.e. without insert components according to the pre sent invention. Due to the deflection of the sucked air, increased deposits of residues 30 occur especially at parts of the walls, which are arranged opposite to the feed slit 121. On the other hand the exposed surfaces of the extractor hood according to FIG. 3B, where such a de posit 30 occurs, are parts of the insert components 124 and can be separated easily and without any tools from the remaining part of the extractor hood, cleaned and re inserted by the user.

10 The insert component 124 of FIG. 3B basically forms a surface abutting the bottom side of the hood shield 10 in the feed area of the air channel 125, where the sucked air is deflected. In contrast, the insert com ponent 124 of FIG. 3C additionally also comprises a grid shaped expanded metal, which is spanned crossways to the air channel 125, where residues 30 can deposit at. Howev er, it has to be considered that such an additional grease separator arranged crossways to the air channel 125 can increase the efficiency of the grease separation on the one hand but decreases the throughput of the ex tractor hood 10 at a given motor power on the other hand. Therefore it can be more advantageous to design the in sert component 124 such that the air channel 125 stays free from flow obstacles as much as possible and (as shown in the example of FIG. 3B) to abstain from addi tional grease separators at this place. In FIG. 4 the example of an insert component 124 is shown in three different perspective views. An in sert component 124 basically consists of two side panels 124-3 which are connected at the opposite edges by a first cross panel 124-1 and a second cross panel 124-2. In the inserted state of the insert component 124 the first cross panel 124-1 forms the wall area of the hood shield 12 lying opposite to the feed slit 121. The second cross panel 124-2 forms a surface which in the closed state follows the outline of the cover plate 13 or touch es it such that in the ready-to-operate state the sucked air essentially flows through the opening between the two cross panels 124-1, 124-2 and the two side panels 124-3 and then enters into the air channel 125. The deposit of grease residues from the air primarily occurs at the first cross panel 124-1. As already mentioned in connection with FIG. 3, it is also possible to arrange additional grease sepa rators between the two cross panels 124-1, 124-2 for ex ample in form of a grid-shaped expanded metal 124-5.

11 At the first cross panel 124-1, which at least in the inserted state is abutting the hood shield 12, there are parts of a magnetic fixture 124-4 shaped as a positive profile mounted as well with which the insert component 124 is fixed at the hood shield 12 (in a corre spondingly formed negative profile). Below with reference to Fig. 5 the procedure of removing and (re)insertion of an insert component 124 as shown in FIG. 4 is described. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 5A shows the insert component 124 in the inserted and ready-to-operate state and also the cover plate 13 in the closed and ready-to-operate state. The magnetic holder 124-4 is fixed in the hood shield 12 inside a recess 126 adapted to the positive profile 124-4. Therefore the insert com ponent 124 cannot shift in lateral direction, i.e. along the hood shield 12. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 5B shows the insert component 124 in a state where it is separated from the hood shield 12, where the cover plate 13 is al ready in the open state in order to remove the insert component 124, i.e. in the present example it is folded down. The insert component 124 can be removed out of its permanent magnetic fixation 126, 124-4 by a simple pull in the direction vertical to the main plane of the hood shield 12. In FIG. 5C the elements shown in the cross sectional view of FIG. 5B are shown again in a perspec tive view. An insert component 124 is shown in the sepa rated state while further insert components 124 are still fixed in the hood shield 12. In FIG. 6 an example of a variant of the pre sent invention is shown. Equal elements or elements which are similar with respect to their functionality are marked again with the same reference signs as in the pre vious examples. The example shows an extractor hood 10 with a chimney 11 and a fixed hood shield 12. As in the examples described above, the central inner area of the 12 hood shield 12 with the chimney 11 is shielded from the cooking place by a cover plate 13 such that the vapours or fumes are simply sucked through a circumferential slit 121 into the extractor hood 10. In contrast to the examples described above, the example according to FIG. 6 does not comprise an in sert component 124 in the area of the hood arranged oppo site to the feed slit 124 which is separated from the central grease filter or from the central grease filters 123. In this example of FIG. 6A instead the central grease filter 123 is extended so far that its boundary areas extend up to the parts of the hood shield 12 which are arranged opposite to the feed slit 121. In this em bodiment, in the operating mode, the sucked air flow can be cleaned through the grease filter 123 before the de flection into the direction of the central chimney 11. On the other hand, in the example according to FIG. 6B, the central grease filter 123 is limited to an inner area which is defined essentially by the circum ference of the chimney 11. However, the central grease filter 123 according to FIG. 6B comprises air-impermeable boundary areas 123-1 which extend to the parts of the hood shield 12 which are arranged opposite to the feed slit 121. I.e. in the operating mode the deflection of the sucked air from the air slit 121 into the air channel 125 happens before the air flows through the grease fil ter 123. Residues, which occur at deflection of the air flow, deposit preferably on the air-impermeable boundary areas 123-1 of the grease filters 123. In both of the examples according to FIG. 6, grease residues, which deposit in the operating mode near the boundary area 120 of the hood shield 12, are removed during cleaning the grease filters 123, as well. There fore also these examples present an improvement compared to the known prior art. The grease filter 123 can be fixed in a removable and re-insertable manner at the hood 13 shield 12 in a known way or else by means of a magnetic fixture as shown in the previously described examples. It is shown in FIG. 7 that the present inven tion can also be applied to other extractor hood devices with slit-like feed opening and with a subsequent deflec tion of the sucked air, which are not mounted on a ceil ing or to a wall. The example of FIG. 7 shows a table ex tractor hood (concealed near to the cooking place) or downdraft hood 10 which are known in this manner. Equal elements or elements which are similar to their function ality are marked with the same reference signs as in the previous examples. The example shows a table extractor hood 10 with a chimney 11, a ventilator 112 and a hood shield 12. Like in the examples described above, the in ner area of the hood shield 12 with the grease filter 123 is shielded from the cooking place by a cover plate 13 such that the vapours or fumes are simply sucked through a horizontal slit 121 along the upper edge of the table hood into the hood 10. From there the sucked air is de flected in the air channel 125, which in this example, runs vertically between the cover plate 13 and the hood shield 12. As indicated by the arrows, the sucked air then passes the grease filter 123. The wall area of the hood shield 12, which is arranged opposite to the feed slit 121, comprises an in sert component 124, wherein the grease residues of the sucked air can deposit. The insert component 124 is con nected to the remaining part of the hood shield 12 by a magnetic fixation 126 and can easily be separated from the hood shield by pulling. Also, it is clearly pointed out that the in vention is not limited to the presented examples and can be realized also in another way within the scope of the following claims. Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and 14 "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be tak en as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of sug gestion that that prior publication (or information de rived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavor to which this specification relates. The reference numerals in the following claims do not in any way limit the scope of the respec tive claims.

Claims

1. Extractor hood device (10) with rim suc tion, comprising at least one slit-like feed opening (121) for sucked air, which runs along an edge of a cen tral air-impermeable cover plate (13), a hood shield (12) with at least one central air-permeable grease filter (123), which closes an escape shaft or a chimney (11), wherein at least a central area of the grease filter (123) (and of the hood shield (12) ) is shielded by the cover plate (13) from a cooking place in an operating mode , and is connected with the slit-like feed opening (121) by an air channel (125), whose inner bounding sur faces are air-impermeable surfaces of the hood shield and of the cover plate and wherein the inner bounding surfac es which are arranged opposite to the slit-like feed opening (121), are shaped such that the bounding surfac es, deflect an air flow entering through the slit-like feed opening (121) by at least 45 degrees, wherein the deflecting parts of the bounding surfaces of the air channel (125) opposite to the slit-like feed opening (121), at least partly form an insert component (124) which is separable from and re-insertable into the re maining part of the hood shield (12) and/or the cover plate (13).

2. Extractor hood device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the edge of the central air-impermeable cover plate (13) forms an edge of the slit-like feed opening (121) too.

3. Extractor hood device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the insert component (124) is free from filter elements or grids which are oriented cross ways to the air channel (125). 16

4. Extractor hood device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the insert component (124) further comprises a grease filter (124-5) oriented crossways to the air channel (125).

5. Extractor hood device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the insert component (124) and the hood shield (12) comprise a mutual fixation (124-4, 126) which is releasable by pulling and lockable by pressing on.

6. Extractor hood device (10) according to claim 5, wherein the fixation comprises a negative pro file (126) in a wall of the hood shield (12) which is fitted to a positive profile (124-4) of the insert compo nent (124).

7. Extractor hood device (10) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the fixation (124-4, 126) comprises at least one (permanent) magnetic element.

8. Extractor hood device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the operating mode the cover plate (13) covers a part of the insert component (124) and is movably fixed at the hood shield (12) or separable from it without any tools.

9. Extractor hood device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the extractor hood device (10) is an extractor hood configured for mounting on a wall or on a ceiling with a central chimney (11) which is surrounded by the hood shield (12) on at least three sides.

10. Extractor hood device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the insert component (124), which for cleaning is removable and re-insertable 17 from the extractor hood device (10), consists of dish washer-safe material.

11. Extractor hood device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising several insert components (124) identical in construction, which when inserted in the ready-to-operate state are distributed along the slit-like feed opening (121).

12. Insert component (124) for insertion in an extractor hood device (10) according to one of the preceding claims.